Power Coins
by Thatoneloserkid
Summary: Power rangers AU
1. Chapter 1

It was purely accidental that Lena was on the mountain that night. Her mother was in one of those moods, the moods she seemed to always be in since her father died, and had completely blown up at her for no really reason. And Lex was - well, Lena wasn't really sure _what_ was going on with Lex. There was something in his eyes since her took over as CEO, something haunting and Lena had no idea what that could be, he purposely kept her out of the business, at least until she was out of high school.

Lena had too get away after her argument with her mother, away from the shell that used to be her brother, away from looking at the empty arm chair that her father used to occupy when he wasn't at the office.

There was a part of the mountain that Lena had found that she had never seen anyone around before so she kind of commandeered the place as her own.

She was perched on the edge of the cliff, staring down at the inky black water, wondering if anyone would really care if she just jumped in and never resurfaced.

A loud explosion startled her out of her admittedly depressing train of thought, the ground shaking beneath her.

Lena scrambled to her feet, rushing in the direction of the sound. When she reached the opened she eyed the two people standing on the opposite side, directly across from her, the boy standing by the crumbling cliff and the girl standing on top of the very unsafe cliff.

"What the hell, dude?" One of the girls opposite her snapped, marching toward the boy, toward the crumbling cliff.

Lena's eyes snapped from the duo, to the boy, then to the girl on top of the cliff.

"Shit," she murmured when she noticed the side completely crumbling. "Hey, you have too move!"

The girl just looked at Lena, with a look Lena couldn't see in the dark, but didn't move.

"It's going to crumbled," Lena rushed forward, about to grab onto the boys arm when the cliff gave way, showering her, the boy and the two girls with rocks.

When she was sure it was over she quickly got too her feet and rushed to the rubble, skidding too a halt and staring wide eyed at the girl as she sat up, a little groan escaping her lips.

"Holy shit, are you okay?" Lena questioned, holding a hand out to the girl.

"What were you thinking?" One of the girls behind her snapped, pushing the boy. "You could've killed someone!"

"Alex," the other girl gently pushed against the girls shoulder.

The girl on the floor accepted Lena's hand and allowed her to pull her upright, touching he gash on her forehead.

"I think I'm okay,"

"I'm so sorry!" The boy apologised, rushing over to their side. "No one is usually here, I thought it would have been okay."

"What were you doing?" Lena questioned incredulously.

"I was just- there was stuff buried here, I was looking."

"Using explosives?" Alex growled. "God, I knew you could be a little blasé sometimes but holy shit!"

Lena glanced back at Alex, taking in her scowl, her teeth all but bared at boy, before looking at the girl besides her. She was taller than Alex, a pair of glasses framing her eyes. She looked a lot more timid than the girl she was with, her hand against Alex's shoulder, probably to prevent her from going at the boy again.

"It was all I could think too use,"

"Guys?" The girl Lena had helped up tried to interrupt but Alex and the boy just kept bickering while the girl with Alex looked almost exasperated as she tried to calm Alex down.

But Lena turned to the girl, who was staring at the ground with a little frown, looking bewildered, colourful lights flickering in her brown eyes.

Lena followed her eye-line, the sound of bickering fading away when she noticed the flickering lights amidst the rocks. Blue, red, yellow, pink and black light glowed, prompting Lena to kneel, picking up the red one, for some reason it seemed to be the one calling to her the most, rubbing her thumb over the dusty surface as it vibrated in her hand.

"Guys!" Lena startled out of the little daze the coin seemed to have her in. The trio seemed to pay attention after the girl yelled, their eyes moving to the coins when the girl jabbed her finger in that direction.

"Yes!" The boy grinned, rushing over too the coins, instantly going for the blue one. His eyes were wide as he held it up, a large smile on his face.

"What are those things?" Alex asked, crouching down and picking up the black one while the girl she was with went for the yellow and other girl went for the pink.

"I have no idea," Barry shrugged.

"They must be worth a fortune." The girl beside her murmured.

Lena's ears perked up at the sound of what sounded like yelling, her head whipping around to the entrance of the mine.

"Shit, security."

Everyone was on their feet and running in opposite direction within seconds.

Lena could hear her heart pounding in her ears, the coin almost burning against her palm. She had been running for almost a minute when a truck pulled up beside her, the girl that was with Alex in the bed of the truck, leaning over the edge with her arm outstretched.

Lena frowned at her arm.

"Trust me," the girl stressed in a soft voice.

So Lena did, grabbing onto the girls arm and jumping toward the bed of the truck, allowing the girl to yank her in.

Lena landed on the girl with a huff, panting as she lifted her head too look at the grinning girl beneath her. "Are you okay, Lena?"

Lena was getting a glimpse of the girls blue eyes every time they sped under a street lamp, the brief flash of blue accompanied by the fact this pretty girl knew her name caused her to falter for a second.

"On your left, Kara."

Kara quickly rolled Lena off of her and scrambled up, almost tumbling off the side of the truck but Lena quickly grabbed her belt, her foot bracing against the edge of the truck to stop her.

When she was sure Kara was secure she moved to her side to help her grab the boy first, then the girl, all of them crowding around the open window on the back of the truck.

"You need to go faster, Alex."

"I'm _trying_." She growled through her teeth, grinding the truck into fifth gear. The truck complained loudly as they sped up, the fan belt squeaking but they were getting away, the security buggies disappearing behind them.

"You can't stop!" The girl beside her snapped, pulling Lena's attention back to the front. She noted the train barrelling along the track, a track they had to cross to get away.

"She can't make that." Lena gasped, the beginnings of a panic attack settling in her chest.

"She can," Kara clapped her hand on Alex's should. "Go faster."

"This thing is almost three decades old!" Alex grumbled. "I _can't_."

"You've got this," The boy said.

"She doesn't got this." Lena disagreed.

Alex slammed her foot down and they sped up but only slightly.

They didn't make it, the train plowed into the back end of the truck, throwing everyone by Alex out of the truck while Alex tumbled inside.

The last thing Lena remembered before passing out was an intense red glow.

—

Lena woke up with a start, her hand completely crushing the alarm clock she had on her bedside table as she sprung out of bed.

She was panting and sweaty and she would have thought last night was a dream if not for her torn and filthy clothes.

She stared down at herself, totally bewildered as to how she not only survived but got home without remembering any of it. "What the fuck," she breathed, startling when a loud vibration sounded from the bedside table, causing her to scramble away and her legs to give out.

She scrambled back a little on her ass, holding up whatever she had grabbed in her panic.

She rolled her eyes at the clothes hanger in her hand, throwing it to the side and crawling over to her bedside table, tilting her head at the red coin beside her destroyed alarm clock.

She picked it up, turning it over in her palm and smoothing her thumb over the almost glass like middle. The middle was glowing red, swirling like liquid.

"Lee, do you want breakfast?" Lena jumped at her brother's voice, much louder than usual.

"Uh, I have to run, actually." She called back in a shaky voice.

Lex was quiet for a second before speaking. "You okay, Lee?" He called from the other side of the door.

"Yes, yeah." Lena tried too open her door, her eyes widening when the knob came off completely in her hand. She steeled herself, sticking her finger in the hole where the handle used to be and pulled the door open, peeking out at her brother, offering him a little smile. "I could go for some toast for the drive."

Lex smile, a smile that reminded her a lot of her brother, the brother she remembered before everything that happened, and held up the other side of the handle. "Been working out?"

"A little," Lena hummed, taking the handle from her brother. "I'll fix it later."

"Okay," Lex nodded. "Apricot jelly?"

"Thank you, Lex."

Lex disappeared and Lena closed the door, leaning against it and looking down at the mechanism in her hand.

She was confused and a little scared, and she couldn't help but wonder if everyone from last night was in the same boat, if they were alive at all.

She quickly got dressed, wiggling into a black pair of skinny jeans and pulling on a red flannel, grabbing her backpack and the coin before leaving her room.

She stuffed one slice of toast into her mouth, holding it with her teeth, and grabbing the other slice.

"Shanks," She said around the toast, high fiving Lex as she rushed for the door.

"Have a good day," Lex called after her.

The coin seemed to burn against her thigh as she drove, but every time Lena took it out too inspect it the heat seemed to stop. She pulled up in the relatively busy carpark, slinging her bag over her shoulder and rushing too class

She didn't see any of the people from last night for the first half of school, which made her fear that they didn't make it out but the anxiety she was feeling quickly dissipated when she entered the lunch hall and Kara and Alex were standing with the boy from last night.

She made her way over quickly, her steps faltering when Kara noticed her and flashed her a blinding smile.

"You _go_ here?" The boy was obviously surprised, and Lena can't say she blamed him, she hadn't been here long and she had spent the short time she had been here actively avoiding everyone, she had no idea _how_ kara knew her name.

"Barry," Kara huffed.

"I haven't been here long." Lena waved dismissively, leaning forward a little too place her coin down beside theirs. "Do you guys feel weird, too?"

"I tore the door completely off of my wardrobe this morning." Barry said and Kara nodded along.

"I broke the sink and Alex broke a mug, just crushed it completely in her hands." Kara leaned in and whispered. "It was dust."

"Where's the other girl?" Lena asked, trying not to stare at the sheer wonderment in Kara's blue eyes.

"I haven't seen Sam all day," Kara said. "But that's not unusual, she isn't big on people."

"Maybe because they blow her off a cliff," Alex shrugged, glaring at the boy. " _Barry_."

"We should go back," Barry said, not seeming phased by Alex's glares. "There has to be something there."

"Like what?" Kara frowned, an adorable little wrinkle appearing on her brow that distracted Lena for a second before she shook herself out of it. Now wasn't the time.

"I don't know." Barry shrugged. "But we found these... coins that have somehow given up superhuman strength and I woke up without a scratch. How is that possible? We got hit by a train!"

"I agree with him," Lena hummed.

"Okay," Alex agreed, though reluctantly.

"I will try and find Sam." Kara offered, looking directly at Lena, like she was waiting for Lena's approval, which threw her a little.

"I, uh- yeah, good idea." Lena hummed and Kara looked a little proud.

"Cool, so we will meet back at the mine around six? It should be dark enough that we can sneak in." Barry suggested.

"They've probably doubled their security now after someone _blew up_ a second on their mine." Alex murmured.

Barry huffed, levelling Alex with an exasperated glare. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

Lena moved her eyes from Barry to Kara, who sighed a little, rolling her eyes, a fond little smile on her lips.

Lena felt her own lips hook up slightly, speaking up before they could start again. "Six is good for me."

Whatever Alex was going to say died on her tongue and she turned to Lena, giving her a curt little nod. "Okay,"

The coins began vibrating against the metal surface, making Lena quickly slam her hand over her own, frowning at the intense heat against her hand. "I hope these aren't radio active."

"Yeah," Kara breathed with a little laugh.

They parted ways after that, Kara, Alex and Barry turning to head over to a table, Kara turning back to Lena after a few steps, raising her eyebrows at the girl. "You want too join us?"

"No, thank you."Lena offered Kara a little smile. "I have homework, I just came here too catch you guys. Make sure you weren't dead, you know?"

Kara almost looked disappointed, but nodded anyway, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "See you tonight, Lena."

"See you tonight, Kara."

Kara grinned widely at Lena saying her name, turning and heading off to the table Alex and Barry were sitting at.


	2. Chapter 2

Lena was leaning against her motorbike when Kara, Alex and Barry arrived. Barry and Alex eyeing the bike while Kara ran her eyes over the bike then over Lena. Lena shivering a little, because of the bitter November air, obviously.

"You ride that up here?" Alex questioned.

"I did," Lena nodded, setting the helmet on the seat, pushing herself off of the bike that was tucked into a little cove in the mountain. "The back road, don't worry, security will be none the wiser."

"All business no fun," Kara rolled her eyes at Alex, making Lena smile a little.

"Did you get ahold of Sam?"

"No, she wasn't at school, or she wasn't in calc."

"Isn't that her?" Barry commented, pointing over to the second of cliff that had been destroyed and sure enough Sam was standing on top of the cliff, again. "You'd think she'd learn."

"Hey!" Alex called, catching the girls attention. "Come over here, we need to talk about this."

Sam looked thoughtful for a second before turning and taking off up the side of the mountain at a speed that had Lena impressed.

"Wow," Kara murmured beside her.

"Wait up," Lena called, running after her at a speed no human should be able to go. She could hear Barry follow her, then Kara and then Alex.

Sam skidded to a halt when she came to a wide chasm, turning to Lena who also stopped. "Relax, we just want too talk about this."

Sam glanced over her shoulder and back to Lena just as Kara, Alex and Barry came up behind her. That seemed to push Sam over the edge and she took off again, leaping and, holy shit, Lena couldn't do anything other than watch this girl leap the 80 feet gap. Sam landed not he other end with not much of a hassle, turning to look back at the group with an almost smug smile.

"What is her deal?" Alex huffed.

"Can't be that hard," Barry reasoned, taking off and leaping like Sam had, clearing the gap but his landing was less smooth, his face scrapping along the dirt for a few feet. She finally came too a stop at Sam's feet, reaching out to take ahold of her ankle. "Got her."

Kara laughed loudly, her head thrown back and her palm coming to rest on her stomach and Lena could do nothing but _stare_ for a few seconds.

Sam kicked Barry off with an eye roll.

Lena leapt the gap next, landing a little rockily but still not nearly as bad as Barry had.

Sam, surprisingly, didn't run as they all made their way over too the other side, looking almost bored as she asked what they wanted.

"What do we want?" Alex asked incredulously. "We got hit by a train and lived, don't you want to talk about that?"

"Not really,"

"I broke a _sink!"_ Kara gaped.

"I'm not a plumber," Sam shrugged.

"Are you telling us you don't feel weird, too?" Lena questioned.

"I feel… fantastic." Sam said.

"Come on, let's just talk-" Barry moved closer too Sam, a little too close for her, apparently, because Sam shoved him backwards, obviously not used to her newly found strength because Barry went flying, backward and off the edge of the cliff.

Sam stared wide eyed at where Barry had just been while Lena and Kara scrambled to the edge too see if they could see Barry.

"Barry!" Kara's voice echoed in the chasm.

"Did I- tell me I didn't kill him?" Sam sounded panicked, her eyes wide and her hand over her mouth.

"Guys, you have too get down here!" Barry's voice echoed from below and Sam's shoulders unwound, a sigh leaving her lips.

"Thank god,"

"What is it?" Kara called.

"Just get down here!"

Kara glanced over at Lena, a cheeky little smile on her face, mirth in her eyes. "What's the worse that can happen?"

Kara stood up, shrugging at Alex before jumping into the chasm.

"Holy shit," Lena breathed, looking down into the darkness Kara had just disappeared into.

"This can't be safe," Alex bounced on her toes at the edge of the cliff. She shrugged too herself, obviously giving up on her internal battle and jumped after Kara.

Lena stood, turning to Sam who looked unsure.

"Come on," Lena offered Sam a half smile and a little shrug. "Aren't you at least a little curious?"

"I just want too ignore this."

"Superhuman strength isn't something you can just ignore." Lena held up her hands in an 'It's on you' gesture, back peddling toward the edge. "I hope too see you down there."

Lena jumped then, her stomach twisting as she free fell for about five seconds before plunging into deep water. When her head resurfaced Sam had just hit the water, water that was glowing their respective colours around them.

"This is so cool," Kara gushed to her left.

Lena looked up from what she thought was the more incredible sight she had ever had the pleasure of witnessing but she was quickly proved wrong when she saw the mix of colours and sheer wonderment in Kara's blue eyes.

Lena was too busy staring at Kara too notice Barry dive under the water, giving her foot a little playful tug.

Lena panicked for a second before she realised it was Barry, which made Kara giggle (the embarrassment was worth it then), glaring at Barry when he resurfaced.

"You guys _have_ too dive down here." Barry said before going under again.

They all followed him and as Lena swam closer to what she figured was the bottom she frowned, because it was getting brighter the closer they got to the bottom.

Kara came up beside Lena, the same confused little look on her face as she reached out for the surface.

Lena done the same, only having a split second to register Sam and Barry tumbling out of the water before she was falling herself, hitting the ground with a winding huff.

She had been on the ground for seconds before Kara landed on top of her, winding them both again.

Kara groaned, pushing herself up a little to look down at Lena was an apologetic look. But Lena just grinned up at her playfully.

"We have got too stop meeting like this," Lena teased, making Kara smile a crinkled little smile.

"What the fuck?" Sam breathed, catching their attention.

Kara pushed herself up so that she was straddling Lena, looking up at where Sam was looking too see the water hanging over their heads.

"Uh, Kara?" Alex frowned, motioning down to Lena when Kara looked at her.

"Oh, gosh, right." Kara scrambled quickly to her feet, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she bashfully offered Lena her hand. "I'm sorry, I forgot I was- The water is floating, you know?"

Lena accepted Kara's hand, but more because it would have been rude not too. "It's okay." Lena assured, brushing herself off and avoiding Alex's eye because she had no idea what these girls' relationship was, but they were obviously close, and she didn't want too over step if their were dating.

"What is this place?"

"The Twilight zone," Sam murmured distractedly which made Barry grin.

"Nice," He held his hand up for a high five, which Sam rolled her eyes at and brushed past him. Barry curled his fingers against his palm and nodded, a little dejected. "Okay,"

Kara laughed, nudging her shoulder against his. "Come on,"

Lena eventually looked at Alex, who was staring at her with a look Lena couldn't quite decipher.

"We should-" Lena motioned toward the trio that were walking away.

"We should," Alex agreed in a hard voice that almost had Lena quivering.

Lena followed, feeling like she had just been scolded, and couldn't help but wonder just what the relationship between Kara and Alex was. They seemed to be far too close to be best friends, and they were the same age and looked nothing alike, so she figured not sisters. They last option was dating, which didn't make the a lot of sense, they didn't have that relationship air about them.

Lena's train of thought trailed off when they came into an opening and what looked like an alien ship was embedded in the rocks.

"Aliens." Barry murmured. "We're aliens?"

"We're not aliens," Alex disagreed, holding up her coin. "These are, and whatever they have done too us, it could be harmful."

"Harmful?" Sam laughed. "I punched out a bully who hasn't left me alone in months, this isn't harmful."

"At school?" Kara frowned, a tenderness in her voice that made Lena smile.

"No," Sam answered in a clipped tone that told Kara the conversation was over.

Lena had too wonder what this girls deal was, but she would think it over later, right now they had an alien ship in front of them and Lena would be lying if she said she wasn't curious.

They walked up the stairs leading to the ship, all of them startling when the ship doors opened (Barry even releasing a little squeak of surprise).

"Oh, finally!" Lena jumped back when a robot appeared in front of her but then she was being grabbed and pulled forward by her wrist. "I've been waiting for _years_ for you guys to show up."

The robot stopped pulling and turned to them just as the group caught up with them, Kara grabbing Lena's arm and yanking her away from the robot.

"You do have the coins, right?" The bots legs extended until they was eye level with Lena, reaching out too squish Lena's face in their metal hands. Lena frowned but was otherwise too startled too don't anything but startle wide eyed at the robot. "You look awfully young? Are all humans so young?"

"Wh- no?" Lena answered unsurely, her cheeks squished in. "We're teenagers."

"Teenagers, huh?" The bot questioned, peeking over Lena's shoulder at the rest of the group, eyeing Lena curiously, then Alex. "Will you two grow more, like the rest of them?"

"I'm average height for a girl," Alex scoffed defensively.

" _This_ is average height?" The robot sounded confused, stretching up a little further to look at the top of Lena's head before looking over at Kara. "You must be an exceptional specimen."

This made Kara blush, fiddling with her glasses, ones that she didn't actually need anymore.

 _"_ What is going _on?"_ Barry snapped, catching the robots attention. "First super strength, gravity defying water, a spaceship and now a sentient robot!"

"Excuse _me!_ " The bot sounded scandalised. "I am an android, _sir._ "

"Whatever, what is going on?"

"Oh, right, of course." The robot shook their head, turning to walk further into the ship.

Lena glanced back at the group crowding close behind her, they all looked as bewildered as Lena felt but they were here now and Lena was going to follow it through.

She followed the bot, the rest of the group following behind her.

"You teenagers have brought the power coins back to the ship, finally, we can wake him now."

"Him?" Kara asked in a strained voice.

"Zordon," the robot explained. "He has been trapped in this ship for a little while now."

"How long is a little while?" Alex questioned.

"Oh, around-" the bot trailed off, counting his metal fingers. "sixty six million years ago."

"Sixty-" Lena trailed off, shaking her head. "That was the end of the mesozoic era."

"Yes," the bot agreed, coming to a stop in a large room with a circle in the middle with what looked like platforms around it. "Zordon called the strike on the earth, he had to protect the crystal from Rita and that was how he saw fit."

"The Crystal?" Sam frowned.

"Zordon was like you, average girl." The bot turned to Lena, ignoring Sam completely, motioning to the pocket holding her coin. "He was the Red Ranger."

"Oh," Lena frowned, unsure of what that meant.

"I need you to each stand on a podium," the bot ordered and Barry seemed to do so without much consideration.

"What? We're here now, may as well go with it." Barry shrugged and that seemed to get Kara on his side.

"Why?" Lena asked.

"This will wake Zordon,"

Lena looked over at Alex, who looked equally as unsure as she did, then Sam, who slowly shook her head.

"We're here now," Lena said. "Let's just see what happens?"

"We die is what happens," Sam argued.

"Oh, no. No, no. You are all very important, I wouldn't kill you, we need you." the bot assured. "There is someone coming, we need you."

"Someone coming?" Alex urged, moving a little closer to the android. "Who? What do they want?"

"Zordon will be able to explain it better than I ever could," they said, motioning to the podiums.

Lena shrugged, her eyes not leaving Sam. "In for a penny, right?"

Lena stepped on the podium, followed by Alex, while Sam hung back unsurely.

Everyone's eyes were on Sam, who was eyeing one of the two remaining podiums.

"Come on, Sam." Kara urged, a cute little smile on her lips. "You're going too leave us too die alone?"

Surprisingly, this made Sam smile, though Lena could understand why, there was just something about Kara that just made you want too smile. She was glad it wasn't just her affected by it.

"Fine, okay." Sam huffed, stepping onto the podium and suddenly the centre lit up in a whirl of colours and what looked like stars, almost causing Lena to stumble back.

"It's working! It is really you guys," the robot cheered.

Lena glanced around the group as the wind whipped around the room, then there was a voice, a deep voice speaking in a language she was sure wasn't human.

The robot spoke back in the same language, then the wall across from than began to quiver.

Lena just stared in amazement as a face flickered in and out of view on the wall as the talking continued and after half a minute the face remained a sold figure on the wall and the whirling stopped in front of them.

Lena stepped off the podium, rounding them to stand in front of the wall.

"What are you?" Lena questioned, staring at the face in the wall with a frown, her head tilted to the side a little.

"I am Zordon,"

"That doesn't answer my question," Lena argued, as Kara and Alex came up along side her.

"This is Zordon of the Eltarian, who I was telling you about." the robot offered. "And I am Alpha-5."

"These are the Power Rangers?"

"They brought the coins back,"

"They are so small,"

"Excuse me," Sam interrupted, moving to stand on the other side of Kara. "Did you say Power Rangers?"

"Yes, the Power Rangers." Zordon affirmed.

"And what, exactly, are the Power Rangers?" Sam questioned.

"The Power Rangers are an elite group of warriors who are sworn to protect the earth and her Zeo Crystal for any harm."

Kara laughed at that, "Elite warriors?" Kara said, "I struggle to get up the stairs at school."

Kara's joke prompted Lena too look her up and down, she definitely didn't have the figure of someone who struggles with any kind of physical activity.

"Not anymore," Zordon said, pulling Lena's attention back to him. "Those coins have increased your standard powers monumentally. You are certainly not invincible but you are close too it."

"Wait," Barry came up beside Kara. "So, we're superheroes?"

"Barry," Kara huffed.

"What is the Zeo Crystal?" Alex asked.

"The Zeo Crystal is what sustains all life on Earth," Alpha explained.

"Which makes it a huge target for every being not only in this universe but in other universes."

"Hold up," Barry held his hands up, his mouth hanging open.

"Barry," Alex huffed.

"No, there are multiple universes?" Barry gawped.

"Of course there are, you thought you were the only one?" Alpha sounded scandalised, like he would be frowning if he could.

"Well, yeah."

"Obnoxious," Alpha muttered with a little head shake.

"And we have to protect this Crystal?" Lena sounded skeptical.

"Yes," Zordon confirmed. "Your armour will help."

"Armour?" Barry frowned. "Where?"

"Within you." Zordon answered. "The coins will allow you to morph into your armour."

"Okay," Alex laughed, shaking her head. "So we are... Power Rangers, we are supposed to protect the planet and we can _morph_."

"Yes," Alpha chirped.

Alex stared blankly at the bot before turning to Kara. "Am I dead?"

The question seemed to throw Kara because she huffed out a little laugh. "What?"

"This can't be real," Alex shook her head. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Can you morph?" Zordon questioned.

"We don't even know why that means," Lena answered.

"They haven't _morphed_ ," Zordon addressed Alpha, who shook their head.

"I don't know,"

"We just found these coins last night," Lena explained, holding up her coin. "They have changed us, we are all better than we were, but we haven't... morphed."

"Okay, step back into the podiums, morph."

"How?"

"Concentrate, you should be able to feel it building inside." Zordon explained.

Lena looked sceptical but stepped up onto the closest podium, the rest of the group following her lead.

"Close your eyes and search for it,"

"For _what_?" Alex huffed, closing her eyes and clutching onto the railing.

"The power of the coins, it should be flowing through you if those coins chose you."

That made Alex huff, but Lena ignored her, trying to concentrate on _anything_ inside her.

After a few seconds a section in the middle lit up a mix of each of their coin colours, but only briefly.

"What the-" Alpha sounded confused.

"You... can't morph?"

"We told you that," Sam snapped, getting off the podium, striding up to the wall. "Look, if these coins belonged to you, and this is your ship, does that mean that door will open for me if I have the coin?"

"Of course," Zordon answered.

"Okay, I'm out." Sam threw her hands up, marching toward the door.

"Yeah, me too," Alex rolled her eyes, reaching for Kara's hand as she started walking. "Let's go, Kara."

Kara followed Alex, glancing over her shoulder at Lena as she was dragged out of the room, Barry following after her.

Lena didn't have time to dwell on the fact the girls were holding hands, she was being called back by Zordon as she walked slowly away, feeling almost dejected.

"Lena," Zordon called and Lena turned to him. "This is your team. There is someone coming, someone dangerous."

"Who?" Lena stressed. "And _my_ team? I don't even know them."

"You are the Red Ranger, which makes you the leader. You have too get your team back here and learn how to morph, you won't defeat Zedd if you can't."

"Zedd?" Lena frowned. "Who's Zedd?"

"Zedd is a powerful being who has enslaved multiple evil entities such as Rita and Goldar. He will not think twice about destroying the earth for that crystal."

Lena felt the air leave her lungs as she ran her hand through her hair, glancing back at the door. "I will _try_ , but I'm not sure we're the people you think we are."

"The coins chose you, the coins are never wrong."

Lena didn't reply too that, she was too overwhelmed, she just left the ship, heading for the section of the cave they had entered through.

She was surprised when everyone was sitting under the water waiting, Kara and Alex hunched together while Barry and Sam lingered beside them.

"Look, this is overwhelming, and maybe total bullshit, but if what he's saying is true, we can't run away from this." Lena said, "I'm coming back here tomorrow at five, if you guys believe this, even a minute amount, you will be here, too."

Lena took off before the group could speak, out of the water and out of the chasm, rushing home before her mother started to freak out about her missing dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

Kara and Alex were already at the ship when Lena fell out of the water, soaking wet and freezing. She eyed Kara and Alex, both standing close and in completely dry clothes. She was a little surprised they actually beat her here.

The surprised was all over her face, apparently, because Alex motioned to Kara. "Kara didn't want to be late,"

Kara smiled sheepishly at Lena, reaching up to fix her glasses.

"How are you guys dry?"

"Clothes in vac-seal bags," Kara answered.

"It's the middle of November, I don't want to be walking about in wet clothes."

Lena nodded, glancing around the cave. "Barry and Sam?"

"Barry will be here," Kara assured in a confident voice.

"Sam?"

Kara's confidence faded, her shoulders lifting in a little shrug. "She's cautious, doesn't trust the whole situation."

"I can't say I blame her," Alex said and Lena hummed.

"There is a down side to this," Lena said, leaning against the rock across from the girls. "We have, apparently, been tasked with protected the planet."

"What did he say to you yesterday?" Alex asked, a suspicious little frown. "You lingered for a while, what did he say?"

"Someone is coming," Lena sighed, "Someone bad and we need to learn to morph if we want too defeat him. And we need everyone."

"So if Sam doesn't show?" Kara asked unsurely.

"We will try but," Lena shrugged. "I don't know much more than you guys do, honestly. Just that he is coming and we don't have a lot of time."

Lena purposely left out the fact about Zordon saying she was the leader because there was no way that was true. Lena had spent very little time with these four teenagers and she could tell already that any of them would make a much better leader than Lena. Alex just oozed leadership. Kara was soft and bouncy but she had this air about her that made you just want to follow her. Barry was a little immature and nerdy but he seemed to have his head screwed on when it mattered. And Sam, as much as she was flaky and a little disconnected she had this unmistakable strength about her.

But Lena, she would actively hide away from everyone, she wasn't strong, she wasn't bubbly, and she had no idea how to lead a team of warriors.

Barry appeared a few minutes later, falling out of the water and landing on his side with a painful sounding huff.

They were about to head into the ship, having waiting five minutes after the meeting time, when Sam came thundering out of the water, landing perfectly poised and her wet hair somehow perfectly thrown over her shoulder.

"What?" she grumbled when everyone just stared at her (Lena was sure she head Barry murmur "Damn," behind her and Kara hum in agreement).

"We just-" Alex shrugged, seemingly as affected as everyone else by the beautiful, powerful woman in front of her. "Didn't expect too see you here."

"Well, Lena was right," Sam shrugged nonchalantly, and Lena felt a sense of pride at those words. "We can't just walk away from this."

Sam didn't offer much more of an explanation than that, moving past the group and directly into the ship.

Zordon explained everything he had explained to Lena the previous night to everyone else.

No one asked any questioned, they were a little too overwhelmed by all that information too think of anything too ask right now.

They tried to morph again, this time actually taking it seriously, but, again, the morphing grid collapsed in on itself, which seemed to panic both Zordon and Alpha.

Zordon ordered Alpha to take them to the pit, which caused the group too pause.

"The where?" Barry questioned.

"The Pit," Alpha chirped, making their way toward the door.

"No, hang on." Alex ordered. "The _where?"_

"Pit," Alpha answered, turning to Alex. "Where you can train."

"Okay," Lena murmured unsurely.

"It will be hard, with out your armour. Painful, very very painful." Alpha shook their head.

Lena didn't get the chance to ask any of the questioned on the tip of her tongue because Alpha took off, leaving the group to scrambled after them.

The Pit was just that, a pit. A large hole in the side of the mountain with nothing but rocks and dust.

"So, what?" Sam walked into the middle of the pit and looking around. "We're just supposed to fight each other."

"Oh, of course not." Alpha lifted their little hands and motions over to their left. "You're supposed to fight these."

A being flickered into view, looking like a pile of rocks and gravel, it's knuckles dragging along the floor as it got into what looked light a fighting stance.

"Holograms?" Kara frowned, making her way over to the monster. "You want us to fight what is essentially a computer simula-"

The monster swung as Kara came up beside it, sending the girl flying, her back crashing against the wall with a sickening crunch and she crumbled to the floor with a groan.

Lena jerks forward, about too rush over to the girl but Alex beat her too it, sliding onto her knees beside Kara, taking her head in her hands. "Kara, are you okay?" She asked and all Barry and Sam could do was watch with wide eyes.

"Definitely not a hologram," Kara grumbled gruffly, rolling onto her back with a groan, her head resting on Alex's thighs. Lena tried not too let whatever stupid feeling was bubbling in her chest show on her face.

"What the fuck, robot!" Alex snapped.

"Android," Both Alpha and Barry corrected.

"She could have gotten hurt," Alex growled.

"Those Putties will not kill you, not like Zedd's will."

Alex grumbled, helping Kara to her feet when she got her breath back, fussing over her as they made their way over to the group.

"Alex, I'm okay." Kara stressed, still a little breathless, shoving Alex's hands away.

Alpha explained what was going to happen, that why were going to use the non-lethal generated Putties to prepare for Zedd, at least until they get their armour, but they didn't have long to prepare.

When asked if any of them had previous fighting experience Sam and Alex both lifted their hands, which was just another reason to Lena that either one of them should be carrying that red coin. Lena was more likely to have a panic attack than actually fight when she was confronted.

Alpha looked to Lena when they were finished speaking, which made Alex frowned.

"Uh, pair up?" Lena suggested unsurely. "Someone who knows how to fight with someone who doesn't. Learn proper stances and practices before we fight those things."

Alex grabbed Kara, which didn't surprise Lena at all, and Sam made her way over to her, arching her eyebrow questioningly. Lena paired up with Sam, leaving Barry with Alpha.

Alex and Kara got straight into it, taking the whole thing serious, with Alex showing Kara standing and where her hands should sit, but they also fooled around a little, a playful air about them.

Sam was short and right to the point but Lena appreciated that, they were short on time after all. But Sam would smirk at her whenever she caught Lena's eyes straying to Alex and Kara, or whenever Lena faltered when Kara laughed, allowing Sam to get a little jab in at her side, followed by "Head in the game, Red."

Barry was having a much less fun time with Alpha, who was laying into him hard after showing him the basic, and Barry was trying to keep up but he just kept receiving blow after blow from Alpha.

Barry was a little worse for wear after the training session, grumbling about how he was working with Sam next time.

It was dark and cold when they got out of the chasm.

Sam left was a barely there goodbye and Lena followed suit, saying a proper goodbye and heading over to where she had stashed her bike.

—

The training was pretty much the same for the next few days, and, really, none of them took it seriously. Be it because they were scared too believe it or just didn't believe it at all.

But Lena got better at fighting, after having Sam lay into her for five hours a day over the last week. When she first managed to lay a punch on Sam the girl looked a little shocked but the shock melted away into a smirk and she nodded, lifting her hands, ready to go again.

Kara picked it all up pretty quickly, Lena wasn't sure if she was a fast learning or is she and Alex practiced outside of training, but within a few days Kara was bouncing on her toes, dodging swing after swing Alex was giving her, even getting the odd hit in.

Barry had the roughest time, leaving every training session exhausted and a little beat up but he learned (sure, the hard way but he learned). He started keeping his hands up, defending his face and sides, learning when was a good time to swing and when wasn't. The first time he got a hit in on Alpha there was a satisfying ding of metal that caught everyone's attention.

Barry released a satisfied breath through his nose, obviously feeling some sort of release at getting a hit in on the robot that had been knocking him around for days.

When they went back to school after the long weekend Sam was actually there, for the first time in a long time, falling down at the table the rest of the group were sitting at.

Everyone at the table looked surprised which prompted Sam to roll her eyes, tucking into her food.

"So, what's the deal with you and Kara?" Sam asked as they sparred, after ten days of longing and awe struck looked from Lena, and bashful, shy moments from the both of them.

"What'd you mean?" Lena played dumb, sweat running down the back of her neck as she continued to block Sam's attacks, bending backward to avoid Sam's kick at her head, blocking Sam's punch at her face with her arm.

Sam didn't move immediately, her arm still up by Lena's head where Lena had stopped it, they were close enough that Lena could feel Sam's breath on her face. Lena could feel herself flush a little at the closeness of the pretty girl and she definitely felt a pull in her stomach when Sam smirked.

"Oh, come on, Luthor." Sam sounding almost mocking at she spoke, blocking Lena's attack on her side easily. "Everyone knows you're mooning over Little Danvers."

"I'm not-" Lena tried to argue but it was obvious that Sam didn't believe her. "Everyone?"

"Yes, everyone." Sam laughed, using the fact Lena was distracted to pushed her up against the wall, her arm against her throat. "Head in the game, Red."

Lena huffed, shoving Sam away, glancing around the room to see Kara and Barry watching them curiously.

"Even Alex?"

"Alex was probably the first to notice it."

"Shit," Lena huffed, using the bottom of her shirt to wipe away some sweat on her forehead. "Is she mad?"

"Mad?" Sam frowned, taking a drink of her water before throwing it at Lena. "Why would she be mad?"

Lena caught the bottle easily, uncapping it. "Well, Kara is her girlfriend, right?"

"What?" Sam laughed loudly, catching the attention of everyone in the room, prompting them to stop fighting and look over at the duo briefly before getting back to it. "Of course not, you really think-" Sam laughed again, shaking her head. "No, they're _sisters_. Kara _Danvers._ Alex _Danvers_. Sisters."

"But they don't look like twins, identical or otherwise."

"Yeah, that's a story that really isn't mine to tell." Sam said. "But sisters. Definitely sisters. So, Kara is available."

"How do you know so much about Kara?"

"Kara and I are old friends." Sam answered cryptically.

Lena didn't question it and Sam didn't push on her feelings for Kara.

They seemed to come to some sort of understanding after that day, the teasing conversation about Lena's feelings bringing them closer together. Lena started driving Sam 'home', which was actually a corner just outside of town because Sam refused to tell her where her house was, and they would spend most of training together.

Kara seemed to notice the change, according to Sam anyway, who kept telling Lena that Kara looked _jealous,_ which was ridiculous because theres no way Kara could be into someone like her. Lena figured she was probably jealous of Lena for getting so much attention from Sam.

They were close, which was why Sam called her first when she was attacked in her room, by some blue alien like creature, standing eight feet tall and sporting red armour. Sam tried to fight but they just weren't strong enough so she was easily over Powered and hurt. The alien warned her of the inevitability of Zedd's invasion and how they didn't stand a chance. He laughed at Sam when she couldn't morph, leaving her with gashes along her chest and a bruise around her neck.

Sam told them too meet her at the top of the mountain and Lena didn't hesitate too pull on a pair of black sweats and her blood red hoodie, hopping out the window and running to the mountain.

Lena was the first one there, rushing over to Sam, her hands outstretched to touch Sam's face but stopped inches away. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Sam answered but the usual bravado in her voice was totally gone.

That prompted Lena to actually take ahold of Sam's face, tilting it a little (and Sam surprisingly obeyed), eyeing the bruise on Sam's neck. "Shit, Sam."

"Zedd'll be here soon," Sam whispered, her eyes closing when Lena's thumb brushed over the cuts on her collarbone. "He was strong, Lena. I didn't stand a chance."

"We have to figure out this morphing thing." Lena sighed.

"Yeah, no shit." Sam rolled her eyes, a bit of bite back in her tone.

"Hey," Lena snatched her hands back at the voice, turning to see Kara and Alex making their way closer. Kara looked almost wounded, looking anywhere by them. "What happened?"

"Someone attacked me in my room, big blue alien, he warned me about Zedd." Sam explained.

"We should talk to Zordon," Lena suggested.

So they did, once Barry arrived, and Zordon told them what they already knew; they had to work harder, they had to morph or they didn't stand a chance.

"Look," Barry started when they got out of the chasm, turning to the group. "My dad and my- Iris are out of town, why don't we go back to my place?"

Alex glanced over at her sister, who nodded. "I don't know about you guys but I don't feel massively safe." Kara said.

"Okay," Lena agreed, lifting her eyes to Sam who nodded. "I'm in."

Barry started up the fire when they get in, getting each of the girls a pair of sweats and either a sweater or a t-shirt.

They settled in Barry's living room, Barry, Alex and Kara settling on the sofa while Lena and Sam took a arm chair each.

"You know, we don't know each other that well." Barry commented half way through an episode of Brooklyn 99. "Maybe that's why we can't morph?"

"Maybe," Lena hummed.

"I mean, we're a team, right? Zordon said a lot of our things rely on our bond as a team." Barry reasoned.

"What are you suggesting?" Alex question.

"Maybe we could get to know each other a bit better?" Barry said, sitting up a little straighter. "I can start?"

Everyone murmured in agreement, some less convinced than others.

"Okay, well, I'm Barry Allen," Barry started, making everyone chuckle slightly. "Well, it's actually Bartholonew Henry Allen, but I've never told anyone that."

"I understand why," Alex teased, grinning over at Barry.

"Yeah, I much prefer Barry." Barry conceded, wringing his hands together. "I watched my parents being murdered when I was a kid, I live here, with Joe and Iris West. And Joe doesn't know that I'm in love with his daughter."

"Oh," Alex sighed. "That's rough."

"Yeah," Barry hummed, forcing himself to perk up, motioning around the room. "Anyone else?"

"Same." Kara piped up. "That parents thing, I lost mine as a kid, too. The Danvers took me in when I was twelve, been there since."

Kara nudged her sister after she finished speaking, prompting Alex to roll her eyes. "Fine, I grew up here, parents took in a pain in the ass kids who wouldn't leave me alone."

Kara looked scandalised but the rest of the room laughed.

"And I'm gay," Alex added, which seemed like hard thing for her to say, but she relaxed when no one seemed to bat an eyelid.

"I lost my mom when I was four, don't remember what happened or anything about her, my dad took me in, he died when I was thirteen so I live with Lillian and Lex. Lillian is hardly the most loving person and Lex-" Len sighed, she wasn't sure this was something she was ready to talk about. "He's changing, after he took over the company he hasn't been the same man I knew. I don't know how to help him."

Lena finished and everyone turned to Sam, who was curled into herself on the armchair.

"Fine," She huffed, her eyes straying to Kara for a few seconds. "I'm an orphan, was at the same home Kara was, one just outside of town, I have been there all of my life. I never had parents, I was left on the doorstep of the orphanage hours after I was born. The older kids at the home would pick on me, take my stuff," Sam laughed quietly. "Not anymore."

"So, you two knew each other?" Alex questioned and Kara nodded.

"Yeah, we were at the home together from when I was six until I left at twelve," Kara shrugged. "She protected me."

"You never told me this," Alex said.

"It wasn't my place," Kara stated simply.

They decided to continue watching the tv after that but Lena could feel the air around them shift, she wondered if the rest of them could feel it too. She wasn't sure how to explain it other than static, there was a static air around them, like the air before a storm.

Barry headed upstairs a little after two, saying to the girls that there was two rooms upstairs they could share if they wanted too.

Alex crashed on the soft, curled up against oe of the arms, and Sam fell asleep curled up on the arm chair.

Lena sat opposite her on the other arm chair, watching the sleeping girl. She looked simultaneously younger and older as she slept, her usually hard face soft in her sleep but there were dark circles around her sunken eyes telling Lena just how exhausted the girl really was.

Lena jumped when there was a mug being placed into her hands, glancing up to see Kara smiling down at her. Lena pushed her tired body up to sit straight. "Thank you," Lena said in a gruff, tired voice, accepting the warm milk from Kara.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked softly and Lena moved over a little to allow her to perch herself on the arm of the chair.

"I mean, as good as I can be when we're facing the end of the world." Lena said with a little laugh, taking a sip the milk. "Are you?"

"Same," Kara agreed, her eyes sliding over to Sam. "She's good, you know? Grumpy, sometimes mean, a little thorny but Sam is _good._ "

"I know," Lena hummed, playing with her bottom lip thoughtfully.

"I get why you like her, I did."

This prompted Lena to look back at Kara, who was just staring down at her mug. "I don't- Sam is a really good friend, but that's it."

"I just- I just assumed, from the other day in The Pit." Kara frowned.

"No, Sam and I have this kind of unspoken understanding, but that's it."

"Oh," Kara nodded, the corners of her mouth twitching like she was fighting off a smile, she averted her eyes to her mug and fixed her glasses. "Okay."

"Wait," Lena moved over as far as she could, motioning for Kara to slid into the space, so Kara did, sitting pushed up against Lena, her legs pulled against her chest. "Did you say you _liked_ Sam?"

Kara's eyes widened slightly. "I- forever ago,"

"Hey, no judgement." Lena held her arms up, a playful little grin on her lips. "I get it, she has that whole bad girl vibe."

Kara huffed and rolled her eyes, but the little smile her lips told Lena she wasn't actually annoyed.

Kara's little smiled melted away after a few seconds. "Do you think we can do it?" Kara asked, looking up at Lena with these wide, hopeful blue eyes.

Lena almost lied to her. "I think we have to try."

"Alex is acting like this isn't happening, I've tried to talk to her but she just won't talk about it." Kara's cheeks puffed out in frustration.

"What do you want to talk about?"

Kara licked her lips thoughtfully. "We do this and win, then what? Someone else comes after Zedd, then someone else, then someone else, will it every stop?"

"Maybe not,"

"And are we just _stuck_ here now? Stuck in National City protecting some stupid crystal." Kara snapped. "Alex wanted too go to college, she was good enough too go and become a scientist but we're stuck here."

Lena nodded along with Kara. "I understand."

"So, what?" Kara was looking at Lena like she had all the answers, Lena wondered if this was how everyone looked at their leaders.

"I don't have any answers for you. We might win, we might not. We might be stuck here, we might not."

"That's a whole lot of mights." Kara sighed.

"It's all I have," Kara seemed to pick up Lena's remorseful tone because her eyes quickly snapped to her and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be putting all of this on you."

"I'm here for you," Lena said sincerely, gently squeezing Kara's thigh. "But I don't have any comforting words for this."

Kara nodded, a sad little smile pulling its way onto her lips and her eyes began to well up. "I'm sorry," Kara sniffed.

"It's okay," Lena assured, rubbing Kara's thigh in a calming gesture. "Don't be sorry for being upset, Kara."

"I'm scared," Kara admitted in a broken voice. "I'm scared I'm not good enough. I'm scared my sister is going to get hurt, or worse. I'm scared we won't save the world. I'm so scared."

"Me too," Lena hummed, a little surprised when Kara released a watery laugh.

"You?" Kara lifted her eyes to Lena. "You are the strongest person I've ever met."

That surprised Lena, because she was far from it, and she really hadn't commanded this whole situation like she feels like a leader should have.

"You have just taken all of this in your stride, we wouldn't have come together after everything if not for you. When we're feeling down or bummed out in The Pit you pull all of is out of that. You've comforted all of us without asking for anything in return. Not to mention Alex and Sam have hardly been the nicest to you." Kara gushed. "You've took not only all of this stuff on but also the responsibility of making sure we are all okay. I can't even imagine how… weighed down you must be feeling."

"I-" Lena didn't really know what to say too that.

"I'm here for you, if you ever need me." Kara said softly, squeezing Lena's hand that was on her thigh.

Lena offered Kara a little smile. "Well, hopefully we can figure out this morphing thing."

Kara nodded slowly, staring at Lena with a little that almost had her squirming in place. Kara seemed to catch herself, cleaning her throat and turning back to the tv.

Lena let herself stare for a few more seconds before forcing herself to look away, too.

She fell asleep not long after that, comforted by the heat radiating from the girl cuddled too her.


	4. Chapter 4

She woke up the following morning still on the chair with Kara and a smirking Sam towering over her.

"Comfy?" Sam grinned and Lena groaned at the girl, stretching out her limbs.

She headed home and snuck in her bedroom window seconds before Lex was knocking on her door telling her he had breakfast ready.

Lena quickly got changed, grabbed the toast Lex had made her with a grateful smile, and was out the door again.

She didn't see her team again until lunch, when she sat down beside Kara, everyone at the table laughing except Alex.

"What's so funny?" Lena asked, cracking open her lunch box.

"Alex has a crush," Barry sung, laughing when Alex swung for him across the table.

"Shut up, dude!"

"She made a complete fool of herself in front of the new transfer student," Kara giggle. "Got sulphuric acid all over the both of them, they had to go to the nurses office for a chemical scrub."

"It was an accident!" Alex defended, "It slipped out of my hands."

"Yeah, onto you and the pretty new girl." Sam smirked, laughing when Alex punched her arm.

"Who is she?" Lena asked with a little smile.

"Maggie Sawyer," Sam answered. "Transferred from Gotham."

"And Alex likes her," Barry teased and this time Alex managed to hit him upside the head.

"There she is," Kara said, making Alex perk up a little too quickly.

Lena merely smirked at her before turning to look where Kara was point.

Maggie was walking confidently toward the lunch line, dressed in a pair of skinny black jeans, combat boots and a tattered green bomber jacket. She was attractive, Lena could admit that.

"You have good taste, Danvers." Lena commented, turning back to her lunch.

"I don't have a crush on her," Alex defended, a little squeak escaping her lips while Sam stifled a laugh.

"Hey, Danvers," Maggie greeted with a little smile.

"Sawyer," Alex smiled a tight lip smile. "What's up?"

"I'm not great at science, I mean, I don't spill acid on people but I also can't wrap my head around a lot of it." Maggie was smirking at Alex, a smirk that was unmistakably flirtatious.

"Okay..?" Alex murmured and, god, Lena had expected Alex Danvers to be better at flirting than this.

"Can you maybe help me out with the lab report?"

"Oh," Alex said and Sam snickered, promoting Lena to kick her under the table, giving her a look that was telling her to behave. "Sure, yeah."

"How about after school?"

"Oh, I can't-" Alex glanced around the table.

"She can," Lena interrupted.

Alex glared at Lena. "What about what we do?"

"We can postpone it an hour, Alex." Lena assured.

Alex turned back to Maggie and nodded. "Sure, Sawyer, we can go to my place after school."

"Cool, see you then, Danvers." Maggie offered Alex a smile before waving at the table.

"Alex has a crush," Barry laughed and Alex merely huffed, flipping the boy off.

Everyone bar Alex headed to the mountain after school, Kara in Barry's car and Sam on the back of Lena's bike.

They stared training with the Putties that day, which meant the entire group was bloody and bruised by the time Alex finally arrived.

It wasn't long until Alex was in the same state.

They left a little dejection having fail, _again_ , on the morphing grid.

"Hey," Lena nudged Kara's shoulder with her own, offering her a comforting little smile. "We're getting it, surely you can feel it, too."

"Yeah," Kara sighed, smiling back at Lena. "I do, it's just frustrating."

"I know," Lena squeezed Kara's hand and Kara stared at her with soft eyes and a ghost of a smile that made Lena's stomach flip.

Lena felt like her head had only just hit the pillow when she was being woke up again and was rushing out of the door for school.

She was so exhausted come lunch time that she didn't even register that there was a new addition to the table until they spoke directly to her.

"I didn't even see you there, Maggie." Lena said, offering her a smile.

"Jeez, Luthor, how burnt out are you?"

Lena let out a breathless little laugh. "Been a rough few weeks," Lena yawned. "How was studying yesterday? Alex didn't get anything dangerous on you again, I hope?"

Alex let up glaring at Sam (Lena figured Sam had probably invited Maggie to sit with them) to glare at Lena.

"Not this time, no." Maggie spared Alex a playful little smirk. "But she helped a lot, good brain on her that one."

Alex blushed, a full on rosy cheeks and hot ears blush which almost made Lena laugh.

"Yeah, that she does." Lena agreed, grinning at Alex.

Alex was uncharacteristically quiet that lunch, only speaking when spoken too, and a little more skittish than usual.

They laughed and joked on the way up the mountain, Barry and Sam (who seemed to have finally taken to the boy) teasing Alex while Alex tried to catch them.

"They're like children," Lena said, watching the trio dance around each other, Alex having more fun than she'd like to let on.

"Oh, please," Kara scoffed, "You'd be joining in if your weren't so exhausted."

"Why aren't you?" Lena challenge. "Joining in, I mean."

"Maybe I want to spend time with you?" Kara shrugged. "Maybe find out why you're so exhausted?"

"Aren't you?"

"Of course, but not to the extent you are." Kara's eyes were soft and swimming with worry. "Are you okay?"

"I will be when all of this is over." Lena assured.

"If we live," Kara said, and the joke was so morbid that Lena couldn't help but laugh.

"If we live," Lena agreed.

"And, maybe," Kara was suddenly coy, taking ahold of Lena's hand, playing with her fingers. Kara felt her heart beat spike. "When this is all over and if we live, we could, maybe-"

Kara didn't get the chance to finish because there was a loud grumble from beneath their feet, followed by the ground shaking and, suddenly the they were each being grabbed by large, blue men, lead by the alien that had attacked Sam.

"So these are the Power Rangers?" The alien grinned a down right evil grin. "They're so tiny."

Lena fought against the alien but it was useless, they were stronger than her.

"And you," the alien came to a stop in front of Lena, bending at the knees to look her in the eye. "The Red Ranger, the leader."

"What do you want?" Lena growled.

"Oh, we will get what we want soon, Little Ranger. Easily, since, apparently, none of you can morph."

"You're dead," Lena growled, tugging against the alien holding her. "You and your boss."

"I'm sure," the alien said in a condescending tone, his large hand swinging to make contact with Lena's face.

Lena's knees almost buckled with the force but she held strong, ignoring Kara's pleads for him to stop.

She forced a bloodied grin into her lips. "We'll be ready when he gets here, I promise you that."

The alien punched her again, and this time Lena's knees did give out, leaning her dangling in the aliens arms. He hit her again, then again, and Lena closed her eyes, waiting for another blow but it never came. When Lena opened her eyes the alien was standing in front of her, wide eyes, looking at Kara, sporting a full suit of yellow armour, holding the alien's fist in her hands.

"I said stop," Kara growled, giving the alien a punch of her own.

The group of aliens scampered off then, and Kara crouched down beside Lena. "What?" She asked when Lena just gawped at her

"You're- you morphed." Lena stammered, the amazement at Kara's suit of armour beating out the pain she was feeling.

Kara lifted her hands to her face. "I did."

The armour melted away, much to Lena's amazement.

"How did you do that?" Sam asked.

"I don't- I have no idea."

"Let's go to the morphing grid," Lena suggested, climbing to her feet, with some unneeded help from Kara.

"Are you okay?" Kara questioned softly, tentatively touching Lena's bruised face.

"I am," Lena assured.

They managed to morph on their second attempt, which was a good thing because when they left there was a group of Putties waiting for them.

"Well, let's do this." Lena sighed.

They were, surprisingly, untouchable as they fought off the Putties, each of them taking out monster after monster.

Then there was six of them, someone fighting alongside Lena in green armour.

The new addition too the group caused Lena to pause long enough too be knocked off of her feet by one of the minions, flying a few feet and skidding across the ground.

"Lena!" She heard Kara yell and she quickly got to her feet, trying her best too ignore the new Ranger helping them out.

The green ranger was gone come the end of the fight, leaving the group baffled and a little wound up.

"Who the fuck was that?" Alex growled, her armour falling away as they entered the ship.

"I don't know but she was a pretty great fighter." Kara commented, startling when Alex swung around to glare at her. "What? She _helped_ us, I'm sorry for praising her a little."

"Guys," Lena announced, holding her hands up, catching the attention of her group. "This isn't the main issue right now."

"It isn't?" Sam frowned, sitting down on the stairs, resting her arms on her knees. "Another person running around with a coin, that's an issue."

"She's helping us," Kara said again, sitting alongside Sam.

"Exactly," Lena motioned too Kara, offering her a little smile that didn't go amiss too Alex. "This girl is helping us, but things are getting worse, Zedd will be here soon."

"Who's to say this girl won't turn on us after all of this?"

"No one, but for now she's on our side." Lena moved toward the wall just as Alpha shuffled toward her. "Zordon, Alpha, there's a sixth coin?"

Alpha bumbled over themself as Zordon appeared. "There is," Zordon said as Alpha continued to babble away, making his way over too Kara, who they seemed to have taking a liking too. Kara offered Alpha a little smile and patted their arm, which made Alpha sigh, sitting down beside Kara. "A green coin. It once belonged too Rita but she was weakened significantly in the blast that killed my team and I. She came back briefly but the new owner of the green coin helped take her out without much of a fuss."

"And who is the new owner of the coin?" Sam asked.

"That I don't know."

"Tell us more about Rita?" Barry requested.

So Zordon did, he told them of the fight that killed his team and wounded Rita, of how he buried the Coins but Rita's had been buried with her wherever she landed. Of how the new owner of the Coin used her Zord to throw Rita into space.

"What's a Zord?" Sam asked from her spot on the stairs.

"Zord are machines that will help you fight off anything that comes too Earth.

"How do we defeat Zedd?" Kara questioned.

"Oh, it's going to be hard." Alpha murmured, shaking his head. "He is very powerful. Very very powerful."

"Alpha is right, Zedd is a very powerful being. But together, you can defeat him." Zordon added.

The room fell silent, everyone mulling over Alpha's words more than Zordon's.

Lena pushed all of her doubts away, the anxiety brewing in her chest going ignored as she turned to the group, her shoulders squared and her jaw set. She had been thrown into this leadership role that she wasn't nearly ready for and giving the responsibility of protecting the fucking _Earth_ , she had to at least pretend she knew what she was doing, or that she had some sort of control.

"Zordon is right." She said with an air of confidence that she hoped was convincing, because she certainly didn't believe it. "We've only been fighting together for a few weeks and we work fantastic together, with more practice we can do this."

"Your big plan is time?" Alex snapped. "We don't have _time_ , Lena! There things are _here_. _Now_. Time is up."

"Alex," Kara warned softly.

"No," Alex squared her shoulders and levelled her eyes on Lena. "Tell us, oh leader, what is your plan?"

All eyes were on Lena then and Lena could feel the panic rise in her chest but she forced it down, she couldn't have a panic attack now, not in front of a team she was supposed to be leading into battle to saved the world. She could break down at home later.

"I don't have one," Lena admitted.

"What?" Alex gasped, making her way closer to Lena. "Our fair leader doesn't have a plan." Alex tilted her head to the left, a condescending smile on her lips. "Surprise, sur-fucking-prise."

"I'm fucking _trying_ , Alex." Lena snapped, holding up her red coin. "Did you think I wanted this, too be the leader in the fight to save the planet! Well, I don't." Lena thrusted the coin at Alex's chest. "So fucking take it! You take the lead, you take control because I'm not good enough!"

The room fell silent again, Lena was panting, her eyes swimming with everything she had tried so hard too hide.

"That's not what I said," Alex looked almost remorseful.

"That's exactly what you said,"

"We're a team," Kara's voice cut through the tension as she stood up, commanding the room. "Sure, Lena is the leader but that doesn't mean she has to come up with the entire plan."

Lena felt a little bit of that weight chip away at Kara's words. "Zedd will destroy the Earth if we don't stop him. We need to come up with a plan, together, and maybe that plan is just to go out there and fight as hard as we fucking can, hope for the best, but we do it together." Lena spoke confidently.

"Ride or die," Sam murmured.

"Look," Lena sighed. "I get it, okay? We're _teenagers_ , we should be out partying. Going to hockey games," Lena motioned to Sam before motioning to Barry. "Or chess meet ups, but we got these coins for a reason. Zordon said they chose us, we're doing this because we're the ones the coins thought worthy. It's going to be hard, we have to throw everything we have at this, we could get hurt. Fuck-" Lena laughed humourlessly, running her hand through her hair. "We could _die_ , but at least we can show up in whatever afterlife there is or isn't and say we tried. We didn't run when the world needed us most."

"I'm in," Barry shrugged in a nonchalant way that had everyone looking at him with a frown. "What? We died when to Zeo Crystal is taken or we die fighting. I'm going down fighting."

"Me, too." Kara said.

"Yeah, I'm in." Sam added.

Lena looked at Alex, almost pleadingly. "I'm trying, Alex, but we are all in over her head here."

"I'm sorry," Alex sighed, holding Lena's coin out too her. "It chose you for a reason. I'm wound up, I took it out on you."

Lena nodded, accepting the coin with a tight lipped smile.

"Kiss," Barry whispered to her left, which prompted Lena to roll her eyes, flipping Barry off, noting the scowl on Kara's face but she didn't dwell on it, she didn't have time.

"Would you like me too show you to your Zords?"


	5. Chapter 5

Barry and Kara were, of course, giddy when they laid eyes on the large robots, each in the corresponding colours of their armour.

"Sam's can _fly_ ," Barry gushed.

Lena stood staring at the fifty feet tall T-Rex, faded and scuffed blood red paint.

She was only half listening as Alpha gave them a back story on the machines, where they came from, how they were controlled, Lena was too awe struck to really take it all in.

They left without getting in the Zords, much to Kara and Barry's disappointment.

The ended up at the Danvers place, Eliza fussing over Lena when she saw the entire left side of her face was bruised and cut. After cleaning the cuts she sat the group down on the sofa and asked what was going on.

"You two have been out of sorts recently, and now you come home with a friend whose face is half bruised." Eliza motioned to Lena then Sam, whose bruises were just starting to fade, quickly than any human. "And this one has a bruise around her neck." Eliza was stern but still soft as she looked at her daughters. "What is going on, girls?"

"We've just-" Kara trailed off, prompting Alex to speak up.

"A girl was attacked recently," Alex offered. "We've been practicing self defence. I accidentally pressed a little too hard on Sam's throat the other day and Lena lost her balance, she used her face to break her fall."

It was an easy lie, but Eliza didn't look convinced. "You aren't in trouble, are you?"

"No, mom." Kara answered.

Eliza nodded, disappearing into the kitchen and grabbing a bag of frozen pea, throwing them at Lena. "Put those on your face, stop the swelling."

"Thank you, Mrs Danvers." Lena smiled sheepishly.

They went up to Alex's room, Alex making herself comfortable on her love seat, while Sam commandeered the beanbag in the corner of the room. Barry perched himself on the window seat, leaving Kara and Lena on the bed.

Kara was sitting with her back against the headboard while Lena was lying on her side, her head on the mattress just beside Kara's thighs.

Lena wasn't sure who fell asleep first but within five minutes Sam, Barry and Alex were asleep, both Alex and Barry looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Are you awake?" Kara whispered in a voice so soft Lena almost missed it completely.

"Yeah," Lena breathed back, her voice cracking with sheer exhaustion.

This seemed to prompt Kara to move, sliding down the bed until she was lying on her side facing Lena.

Kara's blue eyes were sleepy and her face a little pale.

"You're exhausted, Kara."

"I can't-" Kara swallowed, tentatively touching the bruised side of Lena's face. "I can't stop seeing it."

"What?"

"Him, punching you." Kara swallowed thickly. "I thought he was going to kill you."

"You didn't let that happen," Lena slid her hand slowly up Kara's arm, giving her bicep a little squeeze. "Thank you for that."

Kara nodded, her tongue peeking out to wet her lips. "Ride or die, right?" She repeated Sam's words from earlier, which made Lena chuckle quietly.

"Ride or die." Lena murmured.

"We should really try and sleep, god knows when everything is going to hit the fan."

Lena nodded in agreement. "What were you saying before we were attacked?"

"Oh," Kara frowned, shaking her head as she busying herself with taking her glasses off and placing them on the bedside table. "Can't remember."

Lena nodded, a little dejected.

When she woke up she was warm, her face pressed against Kara's chest, Kara's arms wrapped securely around her. She let herself bask in just how safe this made her feel, taking in Kara's scent and her soft, rhythmic heartbeats.

Sam, Barry and Alex were in the kitchen was she got down stairs, laughing at something Barry had said.

"Oh, hey," Sam greeted with a knowing little grin. "There's breakfast in the oven, should still be a little warm."

"Breakfast?"

"Yeah, we slept through the night," Alex explained, "We were going to wake you but you looked comfortable with my baby sister. Maybe a little too comfortable."

Lena rolled her eyes, trying to mask her blush, making her way over to the stove.

Kara appeared half an hour later, hair mused, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she yawn and, god, Lena almost choked on the dry bowl of Cheerios her had been nibbling on.

"Mornin', guys." Kara's voice was gruff with sleep and Lena almost melted right there.

Kara fell down into the space beside Lena, resting her elbow on the table and her chin on her fist. She must have felt Lena stared- _gawping_ \- because she let her head fell lazily to the side, offering Lena a sleepy little smile.

"Did you sleep okay?" Kara asked softly, her hair shielding her face from the view of everyone bar Lena, which, stupidly, gave Lena this odd sense of pride at being the only one getting to see Kara at this very second.

"Yeah, I slept fine." Lena hummed in a soft voice. "You?"

"Yeah," Kara nodded, her hand moving to cover the little smile pulling on her lips. "I didn't have a bad dream for the first time since this all started."

"That's the first time I slept more than four hours since this all started."

Kara tentatively reached over, skimming her fingers down Lena's face. "The bruises are clearing up already."

"Superhuman healing, I suppose." Lena shrugged, her eyes flickering closed when Kara's thumb brushed over the barely there cut on her lip. "Lucky for us, I think we are going to come off with a little more than a few bumps."

"Probably many broken bones," Kara added, her fingertips trailing down Lena's jawline before she pulled her hand away. "Hopefully our necks aren't one of them."

Lena huffed out a little laugh. "Who knew you could be so morbid."

"We have to leave now if we want to get dressed and make it to school." Barry's voice cut into whatever little bubble she and Kara had going on.

Kara cleared her throat, throwing her hair out of her face and sitting up a little.

She rushed home and got changed and, surprisingly, her mother was downstairs when she headed down.

Lex eyed her but didn't say anything until their mother left with a barely there goodbye (and even at that Lena was sure it was directed at Lex). Lena wasn't surprised her mother didn't notice her face.

"Where were you last night?" Lex asked, turning to Lena with a stern look. "I went up to your room when I got back with one of those cream puff things you like and you weren't there, you never came home. And what the fuck happened to your face? That wasn't there yesterday morning."

Lex reached out to touch Lena's face but Lena jerked away, moving away from her brother to grab some food.

"Nothing, Lex."

"This isn't nothing," Lex argued. "Are the kids at school picking on you?"

"No, Lex. I tripped during gym yesterday."

"Look, kid, if you're in trouble-"

"I'm not, Lex. Lay off." Lena snapped and her brother sighed.

"Fine."

Lena grabbed her backpack and made to leave.

"I know things have been tough, that mom has been out of sorts and I've been busy." Lex said, prompting Lena to stop walking but not turn around.

"Mom has always been out of sorts with me, Lex." She said quietly. "Maybe you're just noticing it now because it is affecting you but it has always been like this with me."

"That's not fair,"

"I'm not accusing you of anything here, Lex. I'm just saying, I'm used to this." Lena shrugged, glancing back over her shoulder. "But at least before I had my big brother."

"I'm trying, Lena." Lex said. "You don't know it yet but there are bad… things out there, I'm trying to protect you from them."

Lena wondered briefly if Lex knew about Zedd too. "That's not what I need from you, Lex. I need my _brother_ not the CEO _."_

"This is all I can give you right now."

"I have to go or I will be late." Lena left without waiting for Lex to reply.

She met Kara just as she was entering the the school, asking her where Alex was.

"She rushed to catch up with Maggie," Kara explained with a little grin. "I've never seen her like this before, it's nice."

"I'm happy for her," Lena smiled.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked, leaning back against the locker beside Lena's as Lena unloaded her bag.

"Yeah, I got into a bit of an argument with my brother before I left."

"Oh," Kara nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not here," Lena closed her locker when she had all the books she needed, resting her shoulder against the metal, telling her temple fall against it with a little thump.

Kara just stared at her for a few seconds, a ghost of a smile her lips. "How about after training? Alex has a study session with Maggie at seven, Barry has some sort of family thing he is dreading and Sam- well, who really knows _what_ Sam does?" Kara had a playful little smile her lips as she spoke. "We could go out for ice cream or something? Like normal teenagers who aren't trying to protect the planet."

Lena let out a little laugh, "Okay, that sounds nice."

Kara beamed, and Lena felt her stomach flutter and a warmth spread across her chest that made her smile too, averting her eyes to her feet.

The moment was shattered when the warning bell shrieked in their newly sensitive ears, usually they would prepare themselves for the noise but they were too caught up in each other to remember about it.

"I'm this way," Lena jabbed her thumb over her shoulder, clutching her books to her chest. "See you at lunch."

"Okay," Kara offered Lena a little wave before turning on the balls of her feet and rushing off to class.

Lena walked briskly when she spotted Sam, coming up beside the Pink Ranger. "Can you make your own way home after training?"

"I'm busy after anyway," Sam answered, eyeing Lena curiously. "What are _you_ up to?"

"Kara and I are going out for ice cream."

"Without the team?" Sam side-eyed Lena, a little smirk on her lips. "Sounds like a date."

"It's not," Lena knew she sounds too defensive.

Sam laughed, turning to back peddle down the hallway when Lena came to a stop outside her class. "Go for it, Red. What's the worse that can happen?"

Lena cringed at the nickname, thought she knew, logically, no one would know what it really meant, flipping Sam off. She could hear the Sam's booming laugh as she entered the classroom.

Maggie joined them at lunch again, eyeing Lena's bruised face. "You good, Luthor?"

"Accident with a door,"

"Huh," Maggie didn't seem convince but she dropped it.

Training that day was rough, Alpha pushed them harder than ever, Lena wondered if he knew something they didn't. They got in their Zords but didn't leave the cave with them, only really getting a feel for them, before being dismissed five minutes before seven.

Alex rushed off, determined to not be late for Maggie arriving at her place, which earned her some teased but she just flipped them off as she ran to her car that was parked just outside the mine.

Barry rushed off, too but Sam lingered, which made Lena frown but she didn't ask, just waving at Sam as she and Kara made their way over to her bike.

"Are you okay with bikes?" Lena asked, offered her spare helmet to Kara.

"Depends on the driver,"

Lena had been a careful driver before she became superhuman but since she got a little reckless, knowing that if she did crash she wouldn't kill herself.

Lena threw her leg over the bike and kicked it into action, grinning at Kara as she fiddled with her own helmet. "Just scream if you wanna go faster."

Kara laughed, climbing on the back. "Where do you want me?"

"Around my waist is fine,"

Kara nodded, wrapping her arms around Lena's waist, her palms flat against Lena's stomach.

Lena took in a breath, trying to clear her head because Kara touching her was bad enough when it was on the arm of knee but on her stomach? That set her nerve ends on fire.

Kara leant her head against Lena's back about half way through the drive, releasing a content little sigh that made Lena's heart swell with what she figured was probably hope. Hope that this incredible woman might actually have feelings for her.

Lena pulled up outside the little ice cream place Kara had told her about, remaining on her bike as Kara gracefully hopped off, pulling the helmet off and shaking her hair out. Lena felt so stupid and so cliché when she just _watched,_ the moment seeming to be in slow motion like those stupid romance movies she hated so much.

Then Kara smiled at her, that big, goofy smile that made her eyes crinkle and her nose scrunch up, and Lena thinks that, maybe, that was the moment she started falling in love with Kara Danvers.

She pulled herself together before she started to weird Kara out, following the girl into the ice cream parlour.

Kara ordered amaretto and black cherry while Lena got coffee, Kara trying to argue when Lena went to pay, huffing when Lena just tapped her card with a soft smile to the cashier.

They settled in a booth near the back, chatting about school and training as they waited for their ice creams to come over.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" Kara questioned. "If you don't that's okay, just tell me you're okay and that's it, but I think it would be good for you to talk about it."

Lena licked her spoon, unsure of how to start.

"Since my dad died things at home have been different. Mostly with Lex, he took over the company and he just seems… haunted by something. And he said today that things were here, which made me wonder if he knew about Zedd, too, I know Luthor-Corp has been a big part of defence. And he said today that my mom has been different but only with him, she has always been like that with me."

"Like what?" Kara asked softly, resting her chin on her fist as she continued to pick at her ice cream.

"She has never liked having me around, they took me in because of my father but Lillian wanted nothing to do with it. She has always disliked me, she mostly acted like I wasn't there, which was fine, I didn't mind that. It was worse when she acknowledges me, because she was just horrible." Lena stared down at her ice cream. "She loved Lex, he was the golden boy, she hated me."

"I'm sorry,"

"It's fine, I'm not massively fussed about her, it's Lex that is getting to me." Lena placed her spoon in her bowl, clasping her hands under her chin. "He used to be this loving, caring brother but he's just a shell of that guy now."

"He just took over one of the most powerful companies on the planet, that can't be easy."

"I know, but there's just something going on that he isn't telling me."

"Probably, but maybe it will settle down and he will go back to the guy you knew." Kara offered.

"Maybe," Lena hummed.

"I'm sorry, I'm no good at comforting people."

"No, It's nice to actually talk about it." Lena smiled behind her hands. "And the ice cream is good."

"And the company?" Kara questioned with a cheeky little smile.

Lena smiled, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "S'fine."

Kara gasped, covering her heart in mock hurt. "You wound me, Lena."

"How are you doing?"

Kara nodded, swallowing the ice-cream she had in her mouth. "Yeah, okay. Scared still, but Alex has been all giddy because of Maggie and we are getting better at controlling ourselves, and we have those cool Zords. If there wasn't some alien coming to destroy the planet this would be the coolest thing that has ever happened to me."

Lena hummed in agreement. "The green Ranger is kind of worrying me a little."

"I wonder why Zordon never mentioned it," Kara said. "It would have been something we needed to know."

"Well, Alpha said we have been the first ones down there since Zordon and his team died. Alpha probably didn't even know and Zordon would have been too focused on the Zeo crystal to put that on us, too."

"It's still something we should have been told about."

"Agreed," Lena hummed.

Kara watched Lena carefully, as if gauging her next words. "I can't imagine how hard this must be for you, being the leader."

"It's fine,"

"You seem the type to bare too much weight on your shoulders, and, sure, you being the leader means Zordon will come to you for things and you will have to make the tough choices but you aren't the only one one this team, Lena."

Something in Lena, something Lena didn't even know was there, seemed to crack and suddenly she felt a little lighter.

"You wanna go for a drive?" Kara asked. "Just drive, we don't have to talk, put some music on and just go. That always helps me clear my head. We can go back to my place and get my car."

"Okay,"

Lena drove them back to Kara's place, Kara rushing inside to get the keys to the beat up truck.

They set off after Eliza came out, checking out Lena's face to make sure she was doing okay.

Kara was right, it was relaxing to just drive. Kara was in the drivers seat, one hand on the wheel and the other propping her head up, elbow on the window frame. Lena was over the other side, her feet tucked up on the bench seat and her head against the glass, just watching the world pass by. There was a mixture of disney songs and boybands playing in the background (and Lena almost laughed because that is just so _Kara_ ).

Lena felt herself completely unwind to a point she had never been able to around anyone before, not even with Lex.

They had been driving around the outskirts of the city for about an hour when Lena fell asleep.

She woke up the following day with a start but the panic quickly dissipated when she realised she was in her own room, and in the corner, on her chair, was a snoring Kara, curled up into a ball with her face squished against the arm of the chair.

Lena smiled fondly, lying her arm over her face, trying to remember how she even got inside last night. She figured Kara probably carried her in, which made her a little fearful at the prospect of her mother seeing her being carried inside by some girl.

Lena glanced over at Kara again before rolling out of bed and quietly making her way upstairs.

Lex was in the kitchen just like he was every morning, his laptop open and a cup of coffee beside him. He didn't greet her with his usual smile.

Lena walked past him to make herself coffee.

"Is she the reason you haven't been coming home?" Lex never looked up from his laptop as he spoke.

"No,"

"You're lucky mom wasn't home to see you being carried inside by some stranger."

"She isn't a stranger," Lena snapped. "Not like you have been."

"Don't be so childish," Lex huffed.

"Whatever, Lex." Lena grabbed her coffee and heading upstairs.

Kara was still asleep so Lena perched herself on the edge of her bed, hr back to Kara, nursing her coffee.

She stared at the coin lying innocently on her bedside table, like some kids toy that didn't just throw itself into her life, giving her responsibility that no five people, never mind five teenagers, should have to bare.

Superpowers were always something Lena dreamt about, more being able to fly than anything else, so she could fly away from this house and this life and just never look back. But that was just a childish pipe dream, even now, with actual superhuman powers, she still couldn't fly, she couldn't leave because the Zeo crystal was here, in National City. There was no leaving this city now, ever.

She didn't let herself dwell on that, if she did she knew she would end up having a panic attack at the thought of never being able to get away from her mother.

"I can feel your anxiety from over here," A gruff voice commented from behind her and Lena felt a minute little shiver wrack her body, trying not to think about how, if she could wake up with that voice for the rest of her life, should could easily stay in National City forever. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Lena assured, lying back on her bed and peering back at Kara. "Can I get you some coffee?"

Kara's face morphed into a look of disgust as she stretched out her muscles. "No, thanks."

"How about some hot chocolate?" Lena offered and Kara peeked one eye open, a little smile tugging on the edge of her lips. Lena laughed quietly and nodded. "Okay, I will be back in a few."

Lex was gone when Lena got downstairs, placing a hot chocolate pod in the coffee machine and making Kara a hot chocolate.

Kara was leaning back against her windowsill when she got to her room, staring out of the window.

"You think it'll snow soon?"

"It's definitely cold enough," Lena handing the mug off to Kara, receiving a soft smile from the girl.

Lena leant her shoulder against the wall beside her window.

"I love the snow," Kara brought the mug up to her lips and blowed softly. "And now that I can't really feel the cold, it will be so much better."

"Yeah,"

"My parents -biological- and I used to have a competition on who could build the best sledge out of anything we could find in the house." Kara had a fond little smile her lips as she took a sip her drink. "There was criteria you had to meet; the quickest, best at steering, prettiest. Looking back now, I know my father used to leave out all the best stuff for me to _find._ I'd win every single year, which I imagine was also part of their plan but it was a lot of fun."

"It sounds fun," Lena hummed. "How did it happen?"

"Explosion at work," Kara wrapped her hands around the mug. "I came home from school and my cousin was there with his girlfriend, he said he would figure something out but for now I had to go to the orphanage, _then_ he told me my parents were dead. The first person I met at the home was Sam, she was this small, angry kid who didn't even look at me until she heard one of the bigger kids calling fresh meat. She shoved the boy over and warned him to back off, he didn't but Sam always seemed to be around whenever he picked on me and she would stick up for me. I think twelve year old me had a massive crush on the older girl who always seemed to be my knight in shinning armour. I left the home two months after that with the Danvers', didn't see Sam again until I was sixteen and she showed up in my calc class."

"So, Sam acts all tough but she is a huge marshmallow, really?"

"Maybe a marshmallow with nails in it but, yes, a marshmallow." Kara joked. "She was mean to literally everyone _but_ me. She hates the world, and she has every right to, the world has hardly been fair to her."

"Why do you think she is willing to die to save it?"

"Spite," Kara shrugged, a little laugh escaping her lips. "And maybe, for the first time, she has something to fight for."

"Us?"

"Us," Kara nodded. "The team, she resisted at first but I think after she was attacked and she saw how we were at her side after, she caved. She cares, and Sam never cares. I, for one, feel kind of touched by that."

"She has soft spot for you, Danvers, I've noticed it from the beginning."

"And she has a soft spot for you," Kara pointed over at little with a little smile.

"We have a mutual understanding that life is shit and we don't want to talk about it." Lena shrugged.

"Life doesn't have to be," Kara reasoned, resting her mug against her thighs. "Sure, right now, it is kind of a nightmare, but after all of this is over it will be better. We have super powers and a group of friends that you almost died with. That's a life long bond."

"Yeah,"

"You don't sound convinced."

"The friends part, yes. But after all of this we have to find the Green Ranger, and more beings are going to come for the crystal. Also, exams."

"Yeah, god knows when we are going to have time to study for those." Kara sighed.

Kara glanced down at hr phone when it pinged. "It's Alex," she murmured. "She said she will be a little late to training."

"Maggie?"

"Maggie," Kara hummed, taking along drink of her hot chocolate before setting the mug down on the windowsill. "I should go get ready for training."

"Thank you for last night," Lena said. "It was really nice too just drive for a while."

"Anytime you need me I'll be there," Kara swore, her eyes so sincere that Lena couldn't help but smile softly at her.

"Same goes for you."

Kara nodded, her eyes lingering on Lena's for a few seconds before she licked her lips, averting her eyes to where her jacket was sitting. "I'll come pick you up in an hour? You can get your bike from my place after training?"

"Okay,"

They found out Sam had moved into the ship that morning. When Lena, Kara and Barry entered the ship Sam was already there, which was odd, Sam was never there on time. When Barry asked her when she got there Sam merely shrugged and told them last night.

"Last night?" Kara questioned unsurely.

"Yeah," Sam motioned in the direction of a hallway none of them had explored yet. "I moved in."

"You… _What_?" Lena questioned.

"Moved in. I was fed up living in the home so I left, moved into one of the rooms on the ship." Sam answered. "The digs are pretty sweet."

"There's power in this place?"

"Of course. That beds are comfortable, there is a training room with all kinds of strange gym equipment." Sam said. "It's better than what I had at the home, and I know no one is going to adopt me now, I'm too old, so what the hell."

Lena nodded slowly. "Sure, yeah."

Alex showed up two hours into training, all giddy and smiley.

"What's got you smiling, Danvers?" Sam grinned down from the ledge she had perched herself on, closer to the ceiling than to the floor. She had commandeered the ledge as _her_ place while they nursed their wounds.

"What? Nothing." Alex huffed, but even Sam's teasing didn't wipe the smile off her face.

"Weren't you with Maggie?" Lena grinned, situating herself more comfortably on the rock she was currently sharing with Barry.

Alex glared at her sister. "Traitor,"

Kara grinned from her spot on the floor by Lena's feet.

"You were with _Maggie_ , huh?" Sam jumped down from the ledge, landing with a sense of power and finesse, her grin not budging from her lips. "That's the smile of a girl in _love_."

"Oh, shut up." Alex swung at Sam, who easily danced out of the way.

"God, this team is just swimming with hormones. People pinning all over the place." Sam laughed, and Lena couldn't help but notice that every single one of them looked sheepish.

"So, how was it?" Kara asked.

"We were studying," Alex shrugged. "It was fine."

"She's totally into you," Barry said, sitting giddily on the edge of the rock. "Have you _seen_ how she looked at you?"

"She does seem to be into you," Lena agreed when Alex just frowned at Barry.

"And you are obviously into her," Sam said, kicking rock at Alex's feet. "If anything she is a way of letting off a bit of steam amidst all of this crap."

"And how do _you_ let off steam?" Alex asked, immediately regretting it when Sam smirked at her.

"Is this a come on, Midnight?" Sam teased, laughing loudly when Alex kicked the stone back at her, hard.

"I don't have _time_ to date anyone, even if I was into Maggie."

"Well, how about after all of this?" Kara suggested before Sam could say whatever she had on the tip of her tongue. "Just ask her on a date."

"I'm not into Maggie." Alex huffed. "She isn't my type."

"What?" Lena frowned. "Hot latino with a sexy attitude and a great body?"

"That is literally _everybody's_ type." Sam added.

"She is a pain in the ass to be around."

"Okay, I will ask her out then." Sam shrugged, recoiling when Alex turned to shoot her a deathly glare. "Or… not?"

"I don't care."

"Sure, _that's_ what that look said." Sam rolled her eyes.

"Okay," Lena clapped her hands as she stood, commanding the room. "Let's get back to training."


End file.
